Well, I have officially gotten my first (successful) round of film scans in. I couldn’t be more in love with the art of film.
When I start to tell people that I am beginning my film journey, they always ask “Why? It so expensive and you can’t see your images?” Well, yes, this is very very true. To shoot film cost a lot more than it does to shoot on digital. On average, one image cost around $3, and on digital it is completely free. You don’t have the hassle of hoping that you don’t underexpose your images, loose a roll of film, overnight it to your film lab, keep the film cool, and of course, loose an entire session because your film didn’t turn out.
So why shoot film? I have only been dabbling in the film world for about two months and have already been taught so much by it. First off, it really truly makes you a better photographer. Film makes you slow down and breathe. It makes you push your skills and knowledge to the furthest of its limits. Film test you. Secondly, film makes you connect. I have shot 8-10 sessions on film (for my own practice) and I really had to slow down. I connected with my camera and I connected with the clients. I didn’t spend my time checking the back of the camera to see if my images were well lit or in focus. Lastly, film is rich. there is just something about the art of film that you can’t get in a digital image. Film carries emotion, color, and depth. When I look at film, I get lost in the image because of its beauty and composition. Now don’t get me wrong, digital is stunning and I will always shoot digital. There are also many many digital photographers (better than myself) who make digital images look absolutely heavenly.
Look at the images below (these were the film scans from the previously blogged Riverwood Mansion shoot) and leave your feedback. The film is displayed on the right in comparison 1, 2, and 4. In comparison 3, the film is displayed on the left. I have also included some side-by-side comparisons so that you can really see the difference. Film is not for everyone, but I sure am excited about diving headfirst into my film journey. I have a long way to go and a lot more to learn, but I feel like I am headed in the right direction.
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